Optical illusion effect or the like



F. O KING April 19 19.

Original Filed Feb.- 21, 1955 Patented Apr. 1, 1938 -51 rein Originalapplication February 21, 1935, Serial No.

Patent No. 2,074,297, dated March 16, Divided and this applicationFebruary 17, 1937, Serial No. 126,178

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to the production of optical illusioneffects or the like.

An important object of the present improvement is to produce therealistic efiect to the eye 5 of the observer of specially illuminatedobjects,

without the actual use of such special illumination.

While the invention may be embodied in various forms, including figuresin the round, in the present illustrative construction, cardboard panelsare employed which lend themselves to what is known as cut-out displayadvantageous for advertising purposes, such as in store windows or thelike.

This application is a division of my co-pending application Ser. No.7,506, filed February 21, 1.935.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription, taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is a front view of a composite structure embodying the presentinvention;

Figure 2 is a crosssection taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view' of the parts in separated or explodedrelation.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the illustrative embodiment here showncomprises a foreground surface such as the front panel it, a backgroundsurface in proximity thereto, such as the rear 30 panel H, and anintermediate figure or object l2, all in different spaced-apart planes,preferably parallel, from front to rear of the composite display 3. Thecomposite display 53, in addition to the foregoing principal elements,may include a box-like structure of cardboard or the like having a rearwall Hi, side walls i5, i5, and bottom ill. In this instance the rearpanel I! is secured as by pasting or the like over the area of the rearwall I4. The figure or object i2 may also be cut out of cardboard, andby means of the angularly turned base part Hi may be made to standupright on the bottom ii at any desired point intermediate the panelsHi, i 5.

Also in the present construction, the front panel may be secured bygluing or the like to the inwardly turned flanged parts 59, of the sidewalls !5, 16, the front panel it also being substantially of the samearea, over all, as the panel H and rear wall M.

In accordance with the present invention, the front panel is generallyframe-ii 2e, having a relatively large sight opening '25 therein.Following the invention, a figure 22 is shown formed coplanar with thefront panel iii as by being cut out to project into the sight opening2!, for example, in the vicinity of a lower corner thereof.

In this instance the figure 22 represents or simulates a man holding aconventional hand flash-light lamp 23, a somewhat rearward View of theman and flash-light being depicted, and the flash-light appearing to bedirected upon the upper portion of the rearwardly disposed figure itwhich maybe assumed to represent the figure of a woman. It will be notedthat figure I2 is not only spaced in a plane to the rear of the figurebut is also staggered with respect thereto transversely of the panels,as best shown in Fig. 1. Manifestly, if the lamp 23 were a real lightthe upper forward surface 24 of the figure l2 would be illuminated and adisk or circle of light would be thrown upon the panel I I, somewhat tothe right of the figure i2, with the shadow of the figure i2 within.said circle.

To produce the illusion of this actual effect, I produce a circle-likeexpanse 25 on the panel I i of lighter color, for example, white, incontrast to the darker background 26 making up the rest of the surfaceof the panel H, and this darker expanse 2t continuing into thecircle-like portion 25 as at 2'? in an outlined counterpart of the upperportion of the figure it, this counterpart being slightly enlarged aswould naturally occur, to simulate the shadow of the upper part of thewoman represented by the figure l2.

Since the figure i2 and its partial counterpart 2'5 are staggeredtransversely of the panels, as best shown in Fig. 1, the eye of theobserver looking at the front of the display stand !3 and through thesight opening 25 secs both the figure and its counterpart or shadow atthe same time, and as the figure and its illuminated shadow are indifferent planes spaced at difierent distances from. the eye of theobserver, but still in relatively close proximity, the effect of a realrather than a pictured shadow is produced upon the observer, this beingfurther enhanced by the provision of the man holding the simuiatedsource of light in still a third plane. Furthermore, the upper portion24 of the figure 42 may be differentiated from 4 the lower portlonthereor to enhance the effect of illumination of this part of the figurei2 by the simulated illuminating means 23, In conventional co-planarpictures, in attempting to produce a similar effect, a cone of picturedlight wouid be employed, but by means of my invention the effect isproduced and the appearance of reality is enhanced, without thenecessity for the cone.

It will be understood that the various figures or their counterpartsmight be in relief, thus further enhancing the efiect.

If necessary or desirable to heighten the realistic effect, the expanse25 might be slightly elongated vertically to correspond with itsappearance of being slightly rotated from the normal with respect to theeye of the observer, in order to present the figure l2 and its simulatedshadow 2'. in staggered relation from left to right with respect to thefigure 22.

Various modifications of the invention may occur to the user, allemploying my essential idea here disclosed, and such adaptations maytherefore be made as fall Within the scope of the appended claimsWithout departing from the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Means for producing an optical illusion effect or the likecomprising, in combination, a representation of a source of lightdirected upon an object, an object upon which the represented source oflight is directed, and a picture of a shadow of said object, saidrepresentation, object and picture being in different planes.

2. Means for producing an optical illusion effect or the like comprisingin combination a front panel having a sight opening therein, a figurecut out from said panel and projected into said opening, a second figurerearwardly disposed of said front panel and a rear panel rearwardlydisposed from said second figure, said second figure and rear panelbeing visible through the sight opening, and said figures beingstaggered transversely of the panels, the first-mentioned figureincluding the simulation of a lighting means directed upon the saidsecond figure, and the rear panel carrying a simulation of an expanse oflight directed thereupon by the lighting means of the first panel andwithin said expanse the simulation of a shadow cast by the secondfigure, said shadow being also staggered with respect to both thefirst-mentioned figure and the said second figure.

FRANK 0. KING.

